Being online does carry some risk - how much? It is probably much less than you might think. Our media, with 24 hour news & near ubiquitous access, tends to over-react and sensationalize the sometimes tragic events that do occur. The Internet offers so much potential for learning, connecting and sharing - I believe that the good far out-weighs the bad, however, parents and educators would be remiss - even negligent - if they did not address issues of digital literacy (including online 'safety') with our youth. The solution is not to lock or block or overreact - we take risks all the time, we can't live in a bubble. I believe the solution is open conversation, awareness, education and modeling. There is a lot of information & resources to use - some of which is on this site. It is of growing importance to help our children develop good online citizenship skills and to build a positive 'digital footprint'.
Check out this blog post by an edublogger & educator, Lisa Nielson: The Innovative Educator about online safety. and this one about digital footprints.
Check out this blog post by an edublogger & educator, Lisa Nielson: The Innovative Educator about online safety. and this one about digital footprints.
"It’s
time for adults to stop holding today’s youth in your past and instead
join them in their worlds and empower and support them in discovering
and developing effective ways to harness their future. "
Lisa Nielson, The Innovative Educator
Lisa Nielson, The Innovative Educator
Some Videos about Online Safety
Watch & discuss with your kids.
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"Don't worry that children never listen to you. Worry that they are always watching you."
-Robert Fulghum
-Robert Fulghum